Composer: Gustav Mahler
Performer: Christian Gerhaher
Orchestra: Montreal Symphony Orchestra
Conductor: Kent Nagano
Format: FLAC (tracks)
Label: Sony
Catalogue: 88883701332
Release: 2013
Size: 465 MB
Recovery: +3%
Scan: cover
Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen
01. Wenn mein Schatz Hochzeit macht
02. Gieng heut’ Morgen über’s Feld
03. Ich hab’ ein glühend Messer
04. Die zwei blauen Augen
Kindertotenlieder
05. Nun will die Sonn’ so hell aufgeh’n!
06. Nun seh’ ich wohl, warum so dunkle Flammen
07. Wenn dein Mütterlein
08. Oft denk’ ich, sie sind nur ausgegangen!
09.In diesem Wetter!
Rückert-Lieder
10. Blick mir nicht in die Lieder
11. Ich atmet einen linden Duft
12. Um Mitternacht
13. Liebst du um Schönheit
14. Ich bin der Welt abhanden gekommen
‘Mahler’ is Christian Gerhaher’s second orchestral album, with Orchestra Symphonique de Montréal conducted by Kent Nagano. Gerhaher has never recorded the Mahler songs in their authentic orchestral versions before, although these works have been cornerstones of his repertoire for many years. Gerhaher will be Artist in Residence with the Berlin Philharmonic next season (2013/14) and perform Mahler songs with them at multiple concerts. Besides his principal activity giving concerts and recitals, Christian Gerhaher is also a highly sought-after performer on the opera stage. Under Riccardo Muti he sang Papageno in a production of The Magic
Flute at the Salzburg Festival. Gerhaher gave guest performances in the title role in Henze’s Prinz von Homburg at the Theater an der Wien, as Wolfram at the Teatro Real in Madrid, at the Vienna State Opera and Munich State Opera, and in 2010 at the Royal Opera House Covent Garden in London, where in 2011 he received the famous Laurence Olivier Award for his interpretation. Future engagements are scheduled in roles such as Pelléas, again in Frankfurt – where he has already sung Orfeo, Wolfram and Eisenstein – Posa in Don Carlo in Toulouse and again performances as Wolfram in Berlin, Vienna and London.
Having received countless awards for his singing of lieder, in 2010 Christian Gerhaher was voted “Singer of the Year” by the journal Opernwelt for his portrayals of the Prinz von Homburg and of Wolfram in Vienna and Munich. Christian Gerhaher has performed together with conductors such as Nikolaus Harnoncourt, Simon Rattle, Herbert Blomstedt, Heinz Holliger, Kent Nagano, Ingo Metzmacher, Mariss Jansons, Bernard Haitink and Christian Thielemann in the world’s major concert halls.
Based solely on the excellence of Christian Gerhaher’s singing and his highly expressive interpretations of Gustav Mahler’s lieder, this album is required listening for all fans of the singer and the composer. But this 2013 Sony release is also essential for Mahler scholars and collectors because it presents the original orchestrations of Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen, Kindertotenlieder, and Rückert-Lieder, which receive their first recordings here. Kent Nagano and the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal accompany Gerhaher with subtlety and warmth, and the playing is as smooth and rich as Gerhaher’s baritone voice, which makes the melodies inviting and moving. The performances on this CD were recorded on two concert dates early in 2012, so the best takes were used, notwithstanding coughs and other audience noises that can be heard occasionally. Even so, the sound is slightly variable in the mixing, so close listening reveals differences that could be due to studio enhancement. However, because the musicianship is so high, and Gerhaher’s delivery is so appealing, this recording is definitely worth having, even with its few imperfections.